IXTRODCCTION TO THE JoURNAL. 255 



short, it was necessary, in order to support the tyranny 

 oi" the seat-sellers, that terror should prevail in the po- 

 pulous districts. Blood was wanted to flow ; and 7«o- 

 Tiey was given to spies to tempt men into Avhat the new 

 law had made crimes. 



458. From this time I resolved not to leave my chil- 

 dren in such a state of things, unless I should be taken 

 off very suddenly. 1 saw no hope of obtaining a Re- 

 form of the Parliament, Avithout which it was clear to 



me, that the people of England must continue to work 

 solely for the benefit of the great insolent families, whom 

 I hated for their injustice and rapacity, and despised for 

 their meanness and ignorance. I saw, in them, a mass 

 of debauched and worthless beings, having at their 

 command an army to compel the people to surrender 

 to them the fruits of their industry ; and, in addition, a 

 body existing under the garb of religion, almost as 

 despicable in point of character, and still more malig- 

 nant. 



459. I could not have died in peace, leaving my 

 thildren the slaves of such a set of beings ; and, I could 

 not live in peace, knowing that, at any hour, I might 

 die and so leave my family. Therefore I resolved, like 

 the Lark in the fable, to remove my brood, which was 

 still more numerous than that of the Lark. While the 

 war was going on between England and America, I 

 could not come to this country. Besides, I had great 

 affairs to arrange. In 1816, having made my prepa- 

 rations, I set off, not tcith my family ; for, that I did 

 not think a prudent step. It was necessary for me to 

 see what America really was. I, therefore, came for 

 that purpose. 



460. I was well pleased with America, over a con- 

 siderable part of which I travelled. I saw an absence 

 of human misery. I saw a government taking away 

 a very, very small portion of men's earnings. I saw 

 ease and happiness and a fearless utterance of thought 

 every where prevail. I saw laws like those of the old 

 laws of England, everywhere obeyed with cheerfulness 

 and held in veneration. I heard of no mobs, no riots, 

 no spies, no transportings, no hangings, I saw those 

 very Irish, to keep whom in order, such murderous 



